Mayer Dak founder, BNP candidate Sanjida Islam sued over ‘religious defamation’

A case has been filed against Sanjida Islam (Tulee), the BNP nominated candidate for Dhaka-14 constituency, on allegations of hurting religious sentiments through a comment regarding polygamy.

The case was lodged today, Wednesday, in the court of Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Arifur Rahman by an individual named Hossain Mohammad Anwar.

Hossain Mohammad Anwar introduced himself as the central organiser of the Jatiyo Sramik Shakti, an associate body of the National Citizen Party (NCP). However, the Jatiyo Sramik Shakti has stated that they have no connection with Hossain Mohammad Anwar.

Advocate Md Mahmudul Hasan, lawyer for Hossain Mohammad Anwar, told journalists, “We have filed a case before the court on the matter of religious defamation. The court has recorded the plaintiff’s testimony and directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.”

According to the complaint, Article 41 of the constitution of Bangladesh recognises the right to practise religion as a fundamental right. “Marriage” is an important religious practice and provision in Islam. As stated in verse 3 of Surah An-Nisa in the Holy Qur’an, a Muslim man may marry up to four wives.

In addition, under Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, Islamic Shariah is applicable in matters such as marriage, maintenance and divorce when the parties involved are Muslim. Although any citizen may choose not to practise religion, no one has the right to insult religion or hurt religious beliefs.

The complaint further alleges that the accused, Sanjida Islam Tulee, made disparaging remarks regarding the issue of marriage in Islam. She allegedly insulted Islam and hurt the religious beliefs of Muslims, which constitutes a punishable offence under Section 295(A) of the Penal Code.

When asked for her comments on the matter, Sanjida Islam, founder of Mayer Dak, an anti-enforced disappearance platform, referred to a Facebook post she made on 15 November.

In that post, she wrote, “Today, while speaking on women’s rights, I did not say anything against the Islamic provisions regarding polygamy. The Qur’an and Sunnah permit multiple marriages, but the condition is justice (Surah An-Nisa 4:3). In Islam, a man may marry up to four wives, but the strict requirement is that he must ensure absolute equality in time, financial support, rights and dignity for each wife. The Quran gives a clear directive: if one fears that justice cannot be done, then ‘limit yourselves to only one’ (Surah An-Nisa 4:3).”

She further stated, “We must understand that Islam places the utmost importance on women’s dignity, rights and security. Therefore, we must adhere to the complete guidance, not select only one part of the law. Society has a responsibility to ensure all rights for women and to uphold respect for them. My point was simply that, deceiving women, marrying secretly, depriving them of their rightful dues and engaging in fraud are not teachings of Islam. Islam emphasises justice, transparency and trustworthiness, not deception.”